James Smith (September 17, 1719 – July 11, 1806), a

Founding Father of the United States The Founding Fathers of the United States, known simply as the Founding Fathers or Founders, were a group of late-18th-century American revolutionary Patriots, also known as Revolutionaries, Continentals, Rebels, or American Whigs, were t ...

, was an Irish/American lawyer and a signer to the

United States Declaration of Independence The United States Declaration of Independence, formally The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen States of America, is the pronouncement and founding document adopted by the Second Continental Congress meeting at Pennsylvania State House ...

as a representative of

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. He was born in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

; his family immigrated to

Chester County, Pennsylvania Chester County (Pennsylvania Dutch language, Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Tscheschter Kaundi''), colloquially known as Chesco, is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in the De ...

, in 1729. Smith attended the Philadelphia Academy. He studied law at the office of his brother George and was admitted to the bar in Pennsylvania, initially practicing near Shippensburg and later near

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

. He became captain of the militia there. He was appointed to the provincial convention in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

in 1775, to the state constitutional convention in 1776, and was elected to the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...

, where he signed the Declaration of Independence. He was reelected to Congress in 1785 but declined to attend because of his advanced age. Smith died on July 11, 1806, and is buried in York, Pennsylvania, First Presbyterian Churchyard. The

University of Delaware The University of Delaware (colloquially UD or Delaware) is a public land-grant research university located in Newark, Delaware. UD is the largest university in Delaware. It offers three associate's programs, 148 bachelor's programs, 121 mas ...

has a dormitory on its North Campus bearing his name.

References

* ''Lawyers and Leaders: The Role of Lawyers in the Development of York County, Pennsylvania'', 2005, , York County Bar Association by Georg R. Sheets

External links

* http://www.libraryireland.com/biography/JamesSmith.php
Biography by Rev. Charles A. Goodrich, 1856
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, James 1719 births 1806 deaths People from Ulster American Presbyterians Presbyterians from Pennsylvania American people of Scotch-Irish descent Continental Congressmen from Pennsylvania 18th-century American politicians Signers of the United States Declaration of Independence Foundrymen Irish writers University of Pennsylvania alumni Politicians from York, Pennsylvania People from Chester County, Pennsylvania 18th-century Irish people 19th-century Irish people

See also

References

External links